"Hello.", Lindsey said to the female receptionist of the doctor's office that Stevie visited on a regular basis about four hours later, "I'd really like to speak to Dr. Gordon. Could you get him, please?"
After arriving in Phoenix, Lindsey had dragged Stevie into a car, speeding off to visit her psychiatrist who was responsible for her latest heavy drug abuse, having prescribed her Klonopin in the first place. It had cost Lindsey a lot of effort to convince Stevie to get out of the car with him to confront the doctor for his misdeeds.
"Hello. I'm sorry, Mr. ...?"
"Buckingham. Lindsey Buckingham.", he answered quickly, squeezing Stevie's hand who was shaking in his. She was a nervous wreck by now.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Buckingham. Do you have an appointment?"
"No, I don't.", Lindsey said, hardly trying to keep his temper under control, "But my friend here is a patient of his. We really need to see him. Now."
"I'm sorry. Dr. Gordon is seeing a patient, right now. But we can schedule an appointment..-"
"We don't need an appointment.", Lindsey said, his voice rising in anger, "Is this his treatment room?", he asked, now speaking to Stevie who slowly nodded her head, "Good!", Lindsey said and just marched into the room, the young, blonde receptionist yelling after him, but he didn't care.
"Excuse me, please!", the older man said in confusion when two people just barged into his room, "I'm having a session."
An older lady with red hair was lying on a couch next to him, looking up at Lindsey and Stevie with wide eyes.
"I don't care!", Lindsey said, "You and I are going to talk. Now!"
"What..?"
"And you better get going and look for another doctor. This one here," he pointed at Dr. Gordon, "almost killed my friend!"
The lady looked from Lindsey to the other man to her right in panic, then quickly got up to gather her coat and scarf and run out of the door.
"What do you think you are doing?!", Dr. Gordon yelled, "That is called character assassination!"
Lindsey laughed sarcastically, "Character assassination?! The hell it is! You are killing my friend here!", he pulled Stevie a little further into the room but not letting go of her hand, "The pills you prescribed her are slowly killing her. I took one of them last night and collpased on the bathroom floor after vomiting for about fifteen minutes, she takes up to six fucking pills a day!"
"Ms. Nicks is doing just fine. The pills are helping her to not fall back into her cocaine addiction."
"What cocaine addiction, huh?", Lindsey yelled back, "She's been clean for years!"
"Yes, because she takes..-"
"No, because she went to rehab!", Lindsey interrupted the other man, "And guess what?! That is exactly where she's going back to right after this conversation. She's highly addicted to those tranquilizers you prescribed her."
"Ms. Nicks, " Dr. Gordon said, now speaking directly to Stevie, "We both know that is not the truth. We already talked about this, didn't we?"
Lindsey looked at Stevie who was completely cowed by the other man's words, desperately holding onto Lindsey's hand. He had never seen her that intimidated before. That was not the Stevie he used to know.
"Don't talk to her!", Lindsey yelled, pulling Stevie closer to him, having this strong need to protect her, "You are not going to hurt her anymore! And I can assure you, I just came here for one reason. To tell you, that we are going to sue your ass for damages, you fucking bastard!"
He then dragged Stevie out of the doctor's office and walked her back to the car, the driver had waited for them in front of the building with their suitcases in the trunk.
When the car took off, Stevie was still trembling in every limb, Lindsey pulling her into his arms gently, "Hey, shhh.. it's going to be okay..", he soothed her, feeling her warm tears wetting his shirt, "I'll help you.. You'll be back to your old self in no time, I promise."
"I'm so cold, Lindsey..", Stevie whimpered, her teeth chattering, "And so scared.."
"I know.. God, baby, I know.", he mumbled helplessly, rubbing her back and arms to create some heat, wondering if dragging her into the doctor's office had been a good idea at all, "We get you help.."
-
Another twenty minutes later, they arrived at the rehabilitation center in Phoenix, Lindsey guiding Stevie into one of the many offices to get her admitted.
"Hello, my name is Lindsey Buckingham.", he said to a middle-aged woman with dark curls and red glasses, shaking her hand, "I called this morning to get my friend admitted.", he gently pulled Stevie closer to the reception counter who was trying to hide her face and go unnoticed, "Stephanie Lynn Nicks.", he said, keeping his voice low.
"Oh, I see.", the woman said with a polite smile after checking her name on a list, "Follow me, please."
They went into another room, the door closing behind them. The three of them sat down and the receptionist spoke up again, "My name is Veronica Miller. You must be Ms. Nicks?"
Stevie nodded quietly, she was still shaking with cold, "It's nice to meet you. I've got all your documents here.", Veronica said, handing them to Lindsey, then walking to one of the cupboards to get Stevie a blanket. It wasn't the first time she saw patients arriving here with the first signs of withdrawal. Stevie took the blanket thankfully and wrapped it around her body.
"What kind of drug is it that you are trying to get clean from?"
"Klonopin.", Stevie groaned with pain. Her headaches were getting worse and worse with every minute.
Veronica nodded her head, "Alright. I'm just going to give you a brief overview of what is to come the next few weeks. Then, I'll send you to your room and one of our doctors is going to examine you."
Lindsey and Stevie nodded in response.
"I need you to sign this document.", Veronica said, handing Stevie a pen, "It simply says that you're going to stay here and undergo our treatment."
Stevie signed the paper without further questions. She wanted nothing but leave this room. She was all too well aware of what was going to happen the next few weeks, after all it wasn't her first stay in rehab.
"Thanks.", Veronica said with a smile and placed the paper in a file, "In this brochure you're going to find our house rules. We would apprecitate it if you'd follow them."
Lindsey and Stevie nodded again, both of them getting a brochure with visiting hours, and an overview of the therapy duration and the treatment method.
"If you have any more questions after reading this, you can always call me under the phone number listed on page one. After the doctor examined you, he's going to explain to you how we're going to treat your addiction and answer all your questions. But for now, I guess it is best to get you to your room, Ms. Nicks.", the woman said warmly, standing up to show Stevie where she was going to stay for the next upcoming weeks.
Entering it, Stevie swallowed nervously. This was getting real now. Still wrapped in her blanket, she sat down on the bed in the middle of the room, looking around. Even though, the facility had tried its best to create the patient's rooms as welcoming and homely as possible with lovely furniture and warm colors, it still reminded her of a hospital room. The windows were provided with safety barriers and there was no phone.
"I'll leave you two alone to say goodbye to each other, then.", Veronica said softly and left, closing the door behind her.
Lindsey's heart broke, seeing Stevie sitting on the bed like a small child, a vacant expression on her face. He sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms, "Don't be mad at me..", he pleaded, tears stinging in his eyes, "I only want to help you, Steph.. I'm so sorry.."
Stevie nodded against his chest. She was too tired to even speak.
"I promise, I'll be back as soon I'm allowed to. I'll get myself a hotel room here and visit you as often as I can. You're not alone in this."
Stevie nodded again, "Please, call my parents, will you?", she asked, looking up at him with big, brown eyes.
"Of course, I will.", he assured her, placing a kiss on her forehead, "Whatever you need, Steph.. Just call me."
"Will you lie with me for a minute before you go?", Stevie asked, Lindsey nodding, unable to turn down any of her wishes.
They lay down on the bed, Lindsey wrapping the blanket tightly around both of their bodies to warm her up again. It didn't take long and Stevie drifted off to sleep in his arms. The day's events had worn her small, fragile body out. Lindsey stayed with her for some more time, rubbing her arms and back and occasionally placing a kiss on her hair, until eventually one of the doctors showed up and he had to leave.